Gangster shot dead in Rohini court; security steps to be reviewed

Undertrial gangster Jitendra Gogi was shot dead inside a packed Rohini courtroom by two assailants masquerading as lawyers. They were also killed in police counter-fire. The incident prompted review of security of court complexes.

Video footage showed policemen and lawyers scramble as the shooting began. A woman lawyer received a bullet injury in her leg. There will be no work in any of the district courts in Delhi on Saturday to allow review of security measures. The assailants, ostensibly from a rival gang, gained entry into the complex posing as lawyers.

The incident prompted a security scare and bar associations in Delhi gave a collective call for a security revision in the court complexes. After the pandemic stringent security measures in place have been suspended in most court complexes in the national capital. Courts have of late shifted focus on ensuring that litigants and lawyers wear masks and maintain distance to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This is the fourth such incident in the district courts in recent years. In two of the earlier incidents an undertrial was shot dead in a Rohini courtroom and another in a Dwarka courtroom. Friday's shootout has worried the legal fraternity. In July, a Chhattisgarh judge was killed in what CBI said was a deliberate hit and run case. It prompted the Supreme Court to institute a suo motu case regarding the security of judges and court complexes throughout the country. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana is presiding over the bench and has sought answers from state governments on the security arrangements in court complexes.